Chief Justice Blenman Addresses 213 Graduates to Champion Caribbean Justice

Chief Justice of Belize Louise Esther Blenman delivered a stirring keynote address at the Hugh Wooding Law School graduation ceremony on October 5, 2024, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Blenman called on the 213 graduates “to uphold the rule of law and contribute to making the Caribbean as attractive and competitive as other regions of the world.” 

In her address, CJ Blenman emphasised the essential qualities of integrity, dedication, professionalism, and hard work in the legal profession. She reflected on the evolving role of law in advancing justice and development across the Caribbean.

“Chief Justice also challenged the graduates to foster a strong Caribbean identity and contribute to the region’s unique community, advocating for the pursuit of what Her Ladyship termed the “Caribbean Dream,” as opposed to romanticising foreign ideals like the “American Dream,” a statement from the Senior Courts of Belize noted.

The statement also recognised the Hugh Wooding Law School’s prominence in Caribbean legal education and its recent 50th anniversary in July. An institution that has “a legacy of producing lawyers who have gone on to serve as Presidents of nations, Prime Ministers, Chief Justices, Presidents of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Ministers of Government, Attorneys General, principals of law schools, and heads of universities.”